Chinese customs bust refined oil smuggling rings

FUZHOU -- Customs police in the city of Fuzhou, East China's Fujian province, have arrested 43 suspects in relation to a refined oil smuggling case involving goods worth 1.7 billion yuan (about $250 million).

The suspects were apprehended in a coordinated police raid across several cities in Fujian, Hubei and Sichuan provinces on Sept 17. Eight oil-smuggling rings were hit and more than 600 tonnes of smuggled refined oil were seized from seven vessels and an oil depot, according to customs police in Fuzhou.

A preliminary investigation has shown the arrested suspects trafficked around 250,000 tonnes of refined oil by sea near the Taiwan Straits and Zhoushan Islands.

Further investigation is underway.